Sextet
by FrancesOsgood
Summary: Sarah Williams has terrible timing. And little regard for personal privacy.
1. Chapter 1: Acorn

**Acorn**

The first time she dropped in on me, it was done quite literally. I had been attempting to enjoy a pleasant _al fresco _lunch in my garden when she fell from a gnarled oak and landed in a heap at my feet. I sat, unmovable as the bumbling and bull-headed girl pushed herself off the ground and attempted to stand.

"S-sorry, Your Majesty," she stuttered, brushing off the legs of her dusty jeans and pushing her long, dark hair out of her face. "Hoggle and I were hunting for fairies."

"Leave me outta this!" the dwarf cried from somewhere up in the oak tree.

"What are you even doing here?" I asked coldly.

Her presence was no surprise to me. I knew the ridiculous girl had been making regular visits to the Underground since she had defeated the Labyrinth a few months prior. Until that day, I had not crossed paths with her and was grateful for that. She had wreaked havoc enough on her first visit and I was not eager for a repeat.

She said nothing as I stared holes through her. She was uncomfortable, but not frightened by me. It irked me that she no longer trembled in my presence.

"Shouldn't you be in school or torturing your little brother or something?" I asked her.

She merely shrugged. "It's summer vacation," she answered as if that meant anything to me. "I wanted to come back and see my friends. I hope it's okay. Hoggle showed me how to go through the mirror…"

The dwarf stuck his head out from the cover of oak leaves. "Dammit, Sarah! Stop talking!" he gruffed.

I ignored the dwarf and continued staring at the girl. She'd grown only slightly since her run. Her dark hair and bright eyes were the same. But there was something different about her. She didn't seem quite as… what was it? Simpering? Sniveling? No. She was more level-headed. Grounded.

"It's usually customary," I began, "To ask permission of a land's monarch before one goes traipsing about the countryside making a mess. Or don't you think you need to?"

The girl's eyes grew wide. "Oh no, it isn't that," she gushed. "I just didn't want to bother you. I figured I'd just stay out of your way and no harm would be done."

"And how is that working out for you?" I asked lifting my hands to motion toward the inner sanctum of my private garden where she'd rudely interrupted my afternoon meal.

She looked around and visibly flushed. "Sorry," she muttered weakly.

I folded my arms across my chest and sat silently for a moment, watching her as she tried to figure out what to do or say. Finally, she simply shook her head and walked past me toward the oak tree. With little grace, she hauled herself up to the first branch and disappeared into the thick leaves.

I could hear the dwarf cursing as she rejoined him.

"Why'd you have to go and tell 'im I helped ya?" he asked. "I could end up in the Bog on account a' you."

"Oh, Hoggle," said the girl. "If he ever did that I'd go right in after you and fish you out. Then, at least we'd both be stenchy!"

I couldn't help smiling as their voices faded away.

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**A/N: Just a wee snacky for you all to nibble on between postings of "Once and Forever." Give me a shout and let me know what you think. **

**~Fanny~**


	2. Chapter 2: Token

**Token**

"I...I want to give you something," she said, holding out her hand.

I'd just run across her and the Rock Caller sitting together under a cluster of trees in the Goblin Forest. Some sort of gameboard with colorful pieces was spread out between them.

I looked at her small hand and back then at her face. I have a knack for reading deception, but I saw none in her expression. Still, I made no move to take the "gift" from her outstretched hand.

Her face crinkled into a puzzled frown. "Don't you want it?" she asked.

I straightened my back and stared down my nose at her. "My kind are wary of gifts," I explained. "For us, nothing is ever given freely. Everything comes with a price."

Her frown deepened. "Geez, Jareth. It's just something I made. I wanted to say I'm sorry for invading your garden and spoiling your lunch."

I flinched at the sound of my given name on her tongue, but remained otherwise immovable.

After a few awkward moments she thankfully withdrew her hand. I watched her, curious, as she looked around her. With purposeful steps, she moved toward a spindly willow tree and dropped the gift into a hollow notch. It landed with a thunk somewhere deep inside the willow's trunk.

"There now," she said, turning back toward me. "It's out of my sight and my reach. You can use your magic to retrieve it or not. I'll never know. So, if you choose to accept it, I won't ever be able to expect anything in return."

I marveled at her insightfulness. Her suggestion was both clever and just. Almost Fae-like. I said nothing, only nodded and vanished.

I waited until I felt her presence leave the Underground before I returned to the willow tree and called the gift to my hand. The shining wrapping paper fell away and I stared down at a small clay owl with open wings and clear blue beads for eyes.

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**A/N: Thank you all for the lovely reviews of Chapter 1! I appreciate the feedback so much! To answer your questions/comments:**

**Lylabeth 1: This will be a rather abbreviated collection (hence the title) but it will deal with some maturity issues, hurt/comfort, as well as some juicy snogging. If you'd like a longer, more in-depth slow burn kinda J/S story, may I suggest my tale "Five Years." It picks up right after Sarah's victory party and follows her interaction with His Nibs over the years as she matures into womanhood. Thanks!**

**Guest 2019: Yes! Jareth's POV is terribly underrepresented. Poor fellow has a voice too, you know. And it's so deliciously sexy and smirky that I couldn't resist writing in it. **

**Margot Grayna: Thank you so much. I appreciate your comments and the chance they give me to make sure my Google Translator is up to snuff.**

**Annibale, tonemara, Rayac: Thank you all as well. I have this complete in my docs, but I'm only giving you greedy little children one chapter at a time. Mwahahaha!**

**~Fanny~**


	3. Chapter 3: Fledge

**Fledge**

The girl was alone the third time she and I crossed paths I had just returned from sending a runner back Above, foolishly clutching the dreams he had chosen over his younger sister and I was in no mood to be trifled with. Rounding a corner of the maze I saw the huddled form of the girl sitting against one of the glittering walls. She had her head on her knees and appeared to be weeping.

She started when she looked up and saw me, jumping to her feet and wiping her eyes on her arm.

"I-I'm sorry, Your Majesty," she sniffed. "I just needed…" She paused and looked at her feet. "I needed to get away."

"From what?" I asked cocking my head to one side.

"My parents," she answered. "They just don't understand!" she continued, throwing up her arms. "I'm not a little girl anymore."

I gazed at her. It was true. She wasn't. She'd grown another inch since the incident in the garden. Her hair was shorter, cut to her shoulders. She wore a light blue dress that flared at the waist but hugged her tightly in the bodice, perfectly accentuating her blossoming bosom. I looked away and cleared my throat.

"The Labyrinth is not a place for you to hide from any unpleasantness in your own world," I told her sternly.

She nodded. "I know," she replied. "I just didn't know where else to go or what to do. They treat me like such a baby. I'll be seventeen in just three months, but they still act like I'm twelve."

"What is it that you wish to be allowed to do?" I wasn't sure why I asked. It neither concerned nor interested me. Still, the insufferable girl needed a sounding board and wasn't likely to leave until she had unburdened herself. Her answer caught me off guard.

"I want to go to Europe," she told me. "I have an opportunity to do a tour this summer. England, Italy and France. It's a study tour, not just a vacation, but I'd love to go. I'd get to see so many museums and castles and things. But my parents don't think it's a good idea."

I was taken aback. I had expected her to be hoping for a later curfew or permission to attend a wild party or to receive more allowance money. Her request was surprisingly reasonable: a scholarly adventure to broaden her horizons. Surely, her parents could see reason- I paused in my train of thought. Was I agreeing with her? _Defending_ her? How odd.

"Have you considered negotiating with your parents?" I asked.

"Yes, I tried to make them understand how much I wanted to go but-" I raised a hand to silence her.

"I don't mean whining and arguing," I told her. "I mean offering a reasonable and calm debate on the advantages that such a quest would allow you and why it would be effectual in giving you a more enlightened view of your world."

She regarded me quizzically. "You make it sound so… diplomatic."

I smiled. "I am a king. Diplomacy is what I do."

She thought for a moment, weighing my suggestion.

"I suppose I could try that," she said. "I could gather some information and present it to my parents. Explain to them that this trip is a chance for me to expand my horizons and gain a better appreciation of the world around me. Surely they can't object to that."

She looked up at me and smiled. "Thanks, Your Majesty," she told me and I felt she genuinely meant it. "Just think, if this works, you won't have to see me this summer for two whole months!"

She skipped away gaily, leaving me with a sinking feeling that it was indeed going to be a very long summer.

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**A/N: I decided to post a Bonus chapter today for my American friends who are celebrating Labor Day. Have a few sweet nibbles to go with your backyard barbecue! Thanks for all the feedback; it certainly motivates me to write more! **

**~Fanny~**


	4. Chapter 4: Pemberley

**Pemberley**

There were other meetings before that fateful one at the pond. The girl had returned from Europe with a thousand stories about where she had gone and what she had seen. She saw fit to regale me with endless tales about what she and her travelling companions had gotten up to. I listened with only mild interest. Her friends Above mattered little to me. Still, I let her prattle on about lost passports and stolen luggage and the romantic encounters of her cohorts.

She visited less often after that. I supposed that after getting a taste of how wide her own world was, she had far less interest in mine. I felt a twinge of disappointment, but shrugged it off. Mortal lives were fleeting and thus their attention spans were fickle at best. It was well past time for her to move past magic and make-believe anyway.

On the day in question, I had gone out for my daily inspection of the land around the Labyrinth. A few cracks had formed in the ancient walls and needed to be repaired. Even with the aid of magic the work was arduous. The day was oppressively hot and by the time I had finished I was drenched in sweat and grime. I normally magick myself clean, but on this day I noticed the bright aquamarine pond just beyond the hedge-maze. Its cool water beckoned to me and I gladly obliged, throwing off my boots and breeches and shirt before diving into the refreshing pond. I swam down into the depths, feeling the dirt and sweat and the aching of my muscles melt away. Breaking the surface once more, I lay on my back and floated on the top of the water, watching the white clouds drift over the rusty sky. A soft gasp caught my keen ear. I lay still and closed my eyes and followed the sound in my mind. It came from the hill overlooking the pond. The girl was there, crouching down between the trees. And she was watching me.

With my second-sight I watched her eyes as she followed the lines of my body. They raked slowly over my chest and down my legs, averting slightly when they passed over the joining of my thighs. Her mouth opened slowly, her clear eyes wide with wonder and uncertainty. She knew she shouldn't be watching me, but she continued, staring with a look of unbridled fascination on her face.

In a moment of shameless conceit, I stood up in the pond and let her see me in all my naked glory. Her face flushed crimson as I trudged to the shore, water dripping from _every _extremity. I chose not to dress immediately, but stretched out on my back in the grass on the shoreline and relaxed in the bright sun. I must have briefly dozed because when I opened my eyes, the girl was gone.

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**A/N: Bonus stamps on your Fangirl card if you get the reference. **

** Fair warning, I am doing my best to toe the line of the T rating. The following chapters will be more suggestive, but not M-worthy. Nothing gratuitous, but plenty implied! **

**~Fanny~**


	5. Chapter 5: Flame

**Flame**

One would imagine that a closed door would be a clear signal that the person behind the closed door wishes to have a bit of privacy. Alas, the girl had no regard or at least paid little attention to clear signals. And so it was that she burst into my study to find me rutting vigorously behind a young Fae man from a neighboring kingdom. Her jaw dropped to her chest and her hands flew to her eyes and her whole body flushed deep red.

"Oh god," she cried. "I'm so sorry! I didn't think-"

The Fae man looked back at me with a mixture of confusion and amusement as the girl stood babbling with her eyes covered.

"I'm going to leave now," she said finally, spinning on her heel and fleeing from the room.

Later that afternoon, after my guest had gone, a timid knock sounded on the door of my study.

"Come in," I called.

She opened the door and slowly poked her head into the room. I chuckled to see that her eyes were closed.

"Open your eyes," I told her. "There's nothing _shocking_ to see."

She did and I couldn't help but notice her exhalation of relief when she saw there was only me, fully clothed, sitting behind my desk. She solemnly approached and bowed her head.

"I want to apologize for barging in so rudely earlier," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to interrupt you while you were having… an intimate moment. I was just so excited and wanted to share my news. I didn't think. And I'm sorry."

I stared up at the pathetic creature. She really was rather hapless and reckless. Still, she owned up to her mistakes and tried to make amends, which was more than I could say for most.

"It's no matter," I told her. "I think it embarrassed you more than it bothered me or my… guest. Our kind are not easily abashed. We find no shame in carnal pursuits."

The girl blushed again and looked away.

"I didn't know you were… um…" she paused, unwilling to finish the sentence.

"Bi-sexual?" I finished for her. "I think a more apt terminology might be omnisexual. As I stated before, my kind don't have the same inhibitions that you mortals do. We take pleasure wherever and with whomever it can be found."

"Is he your...um, lover?" she asked tentatively.

"His name is Eoghan. And no, we're not lovers as defined by _your _world," I told her. "We simply enjoy each other's company. Any further questions?"

She shook her head vigorously and turned away. She walked toward the door but stopped near the center of the room. Her shoulders sagged a bit for a moment and I noted that she braced herself before whirling around to face me.

"I saw you naked," she blurted. "Not just today. Before. In the pond. You were swimming and I watched you and I shouldn't have but I couldn't stop myself because… because…"

I rose from my desk and approached where she stood. "Why?" I asked her in a whisper.

She lowered her eyes and sighed. "Because you were so beautiful." She looked back up at me. "I couldn't take my eyes off you."

I remained silent, listening to her rapid breathing and her thundering heartbeat. Her eyes didn't leave mine. Until they fluttered closed and she stood on her toes and leaned forward and touched her mouth to mine. Just a feather-light brush of her lips over my lips. And then her tongue over my lips and between my teeth and against my tongue and- OH. She tasted like everything sweet and delicious. Blackberries kissed by the sun and moist with dew. Winter cider and summer wine. Warm custard and icy sorbet. Forcing my blood to still and my heart to slow, I pulled away from her.

"You should go," I said after a breathless moment. She deflated a little, but obeyed.

I sank back into the chair behind my desk . The girl had nearly undone me. I could have easily thrown her to the floor and taken her roughly. The thought of raking my books and papers onto the floor and having my way with her on top of my desk set my body on fire. I quenched it as suddenly as it had blazed. She was desirable and of age, but there were others of my own kind that would be much better suited to my needs. She was, I told myself, just an ordinary girl.

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**A/N: Yay to everyone who got the P&P reference in the last chapter! The only thing better than a dripping wet Darcy in that white shirt is a dripping wet Goblin King who is totally naked. Amiright? **

**~Fanny~**


	6. Chapter 6: Tutor

**Tutor**

I saw her little after the kiss in my study. She still visited the dwarf and the knight and the Rock Caller, but she avoided me. I assumed she was afraid of walking in on another "intimate moment", as she so delicately put it. I briefly considered asking her ridiculous friends for the reason she no longer visited with me, but decided it was best not to draw any unnecessary speculation from that traitorous lot. I went about my duties and was very nearly on the verge of almost forgetting the girl altogether when she crashed into me one day as I exited my study. The scrolls of edicts, complaints and agreements I had been carrying flew into the air and rolled in all directions, and she and I both scrambled after them, nearly bumping heads in the process.

"What are you still doing down here, you stupid girl!" I cried indignantly as I began restacking the scrolls.

She sat back on her heels and handed me another scroll. "I wanted to tell you…" she began.

I helped her to her feet and then tried to straighten the crumpled scrolls. "Tell me what?" I barked.

"I'm going away," she said simply.

I dropped the stack of scrolls and stared at her, dumbstruck.

"That's what I wanted to tell you before when I, um... interrupted you. I've been accepted to a college out of state. I'm moving there at the end of the week. I-I just wanted you to know."

I gathered myself and schooled my face into an expression of nonchalance. "Why do you think this concerns me?" I asked. I inwardly winced at the harshness of my own words.

She flinched only a little. "I don't suppose it does, Your Majesty, but I've said goodbye to everyone else, Hoggle and Didymus and Ludo and the goblins. I wanted to say goodbye to you too."

"I know I've been nothing but a nuisance to you," she gushed on. "But I hope you know how grateful I am to you. For everything."

My mind whirled and I fought to keep my composure. She was leaving? I had not granted her any permission to ever do that, and while it dawned on me that I truly had no power whatsoever over the ridiculous girl, I had no intention of letting her just swagger off and forget about me...er...us. The Labyrinth. Oh, fuck it all.

I produced the gift she had given me, the clay owl, and showed it to her.

"Oh," she said. "You weren't supposed to let me know you accepted it. I don't want you to feel like you owe my anything."

"I _am_ indebted to you, Sarah." I spoke her name for the first time since she defeated the Labyrinth. "Ask me for something. Anything. I'll give it to you."

She paused and thought and shook her head. "No," she told me. "A gift is a gift."

"There must be something you want," I asked desperately. "Tell me, Sarah."

She shook her head again. "I won't ask you to grant what I want." she said.

"Why not?"

Sarah looked at the floor. "Because… what I want should be given freely, not as reciprocation or payment."

"Tell me what it is, Sarah," I said firmly.

She swallowed hard and looked up at me. "I'm going off to college in a few days. I'll be experiencing a lot of things for the first time. Things most people my age have already experienced. It's not that I didn't have an opportunity, I just didn't want…" she paused, embarrassed. "Do you understand what I mean?"

I shook my head and she sighed and continued, slowly. "I've had relationships, even serious ones, but I haven't ever… I haven't had… an intimate encounter." Her face turned blood-red and she looked back at the floor.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked as if I hadn't already guessed and wasn't already desperately hoping for my guess to be correct.

"Well, like I said," she told me, "It's not that I haven't had plenty of chances. I just knew I didn't want my first time to be in the backseat of a crummy hatchback with some dumb jock or under the bleachers with the guy from Drama class. I wanted it to be here. I-I wanted it to be with you."

My mouth was suddenly very dry and I found myself at an unprecedented loss for words.

She scuffed the toe of her shoe along the stone floor. "I won't ask you to do it in exchange for anything," she said softly. "That isn't how it should be done. I had just hoped maybe you could, you know, teach me about...it."

"About what?" I baited.

"About... you know…" she awkwardly mumbled.

I chuckled. "Consider this your first lesson, Sarah dear. If you want something, you must name it. Clearly. Now, what is it that you want?"

Shifting uncomfortably, she muttered, "Iwantyoutoteachmeaboutsex."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" I teased cruelly. "You'll have to speak up."

"Jar-"

"_**Speak up**_, Sarah."

"Sex," she answered.

"Louder," I commanded, drawing closer to her.

"Sex," she said again, a bit stronger.

I stalked over to her and put my hands on her shoulders. "Tell me again," I whispered hoarsely.

"Sex," she answered in a tone that matched my own. I looked into her deep green eyes and saw the same look of unabashed desire I had seen that day at the pond. I smiled and took her hand.

There were many, _many_ lessons learned that day.

She left looking flushed and a little giddy, but thoroughly satisfied. She kissed my mouth and said goodbye and I never saw her again after that. I was only a little sad. She had given me a remarkable gift. Not just in the gift of her maidenhead; I've had my share of those. No, Sarah's was a much more special gift. She had entrusted me with a sacred rite of passage. It was something she obviously had not taken lightly. It was something she felt was very special. The fact that she had trusted _me _with it meant that she must have considered me to be special to her as well. I was flattered by the gesture. In my line of work, such trust and generosity are hard to come by.

My life has carried on as normal. I grant selfish wishes and bog goblins and kick chickens. Occasionally I sing and dance.

I think of the girl every now and then. Sarah. I hope she's well and happy. A part of me also hopes that she's at least a little disappointed to discover that no sexual experience she has will ever come close to her first. She set _herself_ up for that one.

But should she ever need me...

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**A/N: And... scene. **

**I know many of you were hoping for an HEA for these two, but it just didn't go that way this time. This story was much more about lust and exploration than True Love. Sarah's sexual awakening, if you will. So, they are happy, just not together. Sometimes it's just that way. **

**Thanks for all the lovely comments and (mostly) constructive reviews. Stay tuned for the companion piece "Quatrain", an M-rated look into what Jareth's tutoring involved. **

**~Fanny~**


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